April Filing Season Playbook
Your week-by-week action plan for filing Form 5472. Start 8 weeks before April 15 and never scramble at the deadline again.
Key Takeaways
- Start 8 weeks before April 15 (mid-February)
- Each week has a specific focus — no guessing what to do next
- Mail your filing at least 10 days before the deadline
- If you cannot file on time, Form 7004 gives you an automatic 6-month extension
How to Use This Playbook
This playbook breaks the entire Form 5472 filing process into 8 manageable weeks. Each week has a clear objective and a checklist of specific tasks. If you follow this plan, you will file on time, with confidence, and without the last-minute panic that leads to expensive mistakes.
The timeline assumes a calendar-year LLC with an April 15 filing deadline. If your LLC uses a fiscal year, adjust the weeks accordingly (your deadline is the 15th day of the 4th month after your fiscal year ends).
Already behind schedule? If you are reading this in March or April, skip to Week 4 and compress Weeks 1-3 into a single weekend. The filing itself takes 30-60 minutes with our filer. The preparation is what takes time.
Gather Your Documents
Feb 17 - Feb 23
- Download all 12 monthly bank statements for your LLC
- Collect your LLC formation documents (Articles of Organization, EIN confirmation letter CP 575)
- Locate your Operating Agreement
- Find your registered agent address and service agreement
- Pull up last year's filed Form 5472 and Form 1120 for reference
Tip: Create a folder called "2025 Tax Filing" and put everything in it. Having all documents in one place saves time later.
Reconcile Your Books
Feb 24 - Mar 2
- Verify your bookkeeping ledger matches all 12 bank statements
- Calculate total related-party transactions for the year by category
- Identify all capital contributions (money you put into the LLC)
- Identify all distributions (money the LLC sent to you)
- Total any management fees, loans, rent, or royalties between you and the LLC
Tip: If your bookkeeping is not up to date, this is your catch-up week. Block extra time if needed.
Prepare Your Entity Information
Mar 3 - Mar 9
- Confirm your LLC name matches exactly as registered with the IRS
- Verify your EIN is correct
- Confirm your LLC address (registered agent or principal office)
- Prepare your personal information as the foreign owner (name, foreign address, country code)
- Assign or confirm your reference ID number for Form 5472 Part II
Tip: Use the exact same information as last year unless something has changed. Consistency prevents IRS mismatches.
Start Filling Out Your Forms
Mar 10 - Mar 16
- Begin your Form 5472 filing — start with Part I (reporting corporation information)
- Complete Part II (25% foreign shareholder information)
- Fill in Part IV (monetary transactions) with your reconciled totals
- Complete the pro-forma Form 1120 with basic entity information
- Check the correct tax year on both forms
Tip: Our filer walks you through each section step by step. You can save your progress and come back any time.
Review Everything
Mar 17 - Mar 23
- Review all Form 5472 entries against your source documents
- Verify Part IV transaction amounts match your bookkeeping totals
- Check that entity information on Form 5472 matches Form 1120
- Verify country codes use IRS codes (not ISO codes)
- Confirm the reference ID matches what you used in prior years
Tip: This is the most important week. Errors caught now cost nothing. Errors caught by the IRS cost $25,000.
Generate and Print Your Filing
Mar 24 - Mar 30
- Generate your final PDF package (Form 5472 + Form 1120)
- Review the generated PDFs one final time
- Print the forms (keep a digital copy as well)
- Sign the Form 1120 signature line
- Prepare your mailing envelope (Form 5472 must be mailed — it cannot be e-filed)
Tip: Use certified mail with return receipt (USPS) or a trackable service. You want proof the IRS received your filing.
Mail Your Filing
Mar 31 - Apr 6
- Mail your completed forms to the IRS service center (address is in the Form 1120 instructions)
- Save your certified mail receipt and tracking number
- Record the mailing date in your files
- Consider using an online fax service as an alternative submission method
- Store a complete copy of everything you mailed in your tax filing folder
Tip: Mail at least 10 days before April 15. If something goes wrong with delivery, you still have time to refile.
Final Deadline and Extension Backup
Apr 7 - Apr 15
- April 15 is the filing deadline for calendar-year filers
- If you have not filed yet, file Form 7004 for an automatic 6-month extension (to October 15)
- Form 7004 can be e-filed through most tax software or mailed to the IRS
- The extension extends the filing deadline but not the payment deadline (usually not applicable for pro-forma 1120s)
- Confirm delivery of your filing via USPS tracking
Tip: Filing an extension is not a red flag — millions of businesses do it. But if your filing is ready, do not delay. File and move on.
What If You Need an Extension?
If you cannot file by April 15, file Form 7004 (Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File Certain Business Income Tax, Information, and Other Returns). This gives you an automatic 6-month extension to October 15.
Key Facts About Form 7004
- The extension is automatic — the IRS does not need to approve it
- File Form 7004 by April 15 (the original due date)
- Form 7004 can be e-filed through most tax software
- The extension extends the time to file, not the time to pay (but pro-forma Form 1120s typically have no tax due)
- Filing an extension is extremely common and is not a red flag
Important: The extension only protects you from the late filing penalty if you file Form 7004 by the original deadline. If you miss both April 15 and fail to file Form 7004, the $25,000 penalty applies from the original due date.
After You File
Once your filing is in the mail, here is what to do:
- Save your certified mail tracking number and delivery confirmation
- Keep a complete copy of everything you filed (digital and paper)
- Store your copy in the tax-filings folder for the year
- Expect potential IRS correspondence in 3-6 months (usually a simple acknowledgment or nothing at all)
- If you receive a penalty notice (CP 215), respond within 30 days with a reasonable cause letter
- Begin your monthly compliance routine for the current year